


Vices and Virtues

by Loki0fJotunheim



Category: Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, hiddlestoners
Genre: F/M, Rape, School, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-24
Packaged: 2018-04-05 15:51:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 18
Words: 9,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4185771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loki0fJotunheim/pseuds/Loki0fJotunheim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skylar has led a very difficult life. Her father is in jail and her mother took her own life when Skylar was 12. Summer was over, and school had started, but this year someone was out to destroy her. Can Skylar restrain herself and do the right thing? Or will Tom' charm take over, and perhaps ruin her life for good?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, and I'm not entirely sure where it's going. Be prepared for an emotional whirlwind though, because my sole aim is to make you guys hurt.

Chapter 1

A dull ringing droned through my ears, I sighed and buried my face further into my bed. As the incessant noise grew louder, I threw my arm under the pillow, and searched for my phone. I brought it to my face, and groaned as the brightness flooded into my eyes. As I slid my thumb across the screen, the alarm turned off, and I stretched, taking comfort in the silence that surrounded me. I wanted to stay here all day, but knew that wasn’t an option. I kicked off the sheets, and got out of bed. 

On my way to the bathroom, I picked up a black tank top, black jeans, and a plaid shirt. Apparently I was going for the Dean Winchester look today. After carefully applying my makeup, making sure that my winged eyeliner was perfect, and my foundation was even, I walked over to the mirror. My jeans fit nicely, and my shirt that was at least two sizes too big, acted as a jacket. I pulled my hair out of its usual ponytail, and braided it to the side. Jet black waves rested on the side of my face. I’d gotten a fringe cut in during the holiday, and I was still getting used to it. I couldn’t decide whether it made me look messy, or casual, probably both. I left the bathroom and walked back into my bedroom, sliding on my black military boots and grabbing my bag. 

I wandered through the woods, following the path I had for years. It was peaceful, quiet. Just what I needed in the morning. The silence didn’t last long though, as I noticed familiar face walking towards me.

Zoey had been my best friend for a long time. She and I had met when we were eleven, and six years later, we were still inseparable. She had long blonde hair that seemed to go on forever, impeccable style, and an extremely flirtatious personality. We were pretty much opposites, but it didn’t really bother either of us. 

“Apparently there’s a new teacher.” 

“For what subject?”

“English Language. Lia said Mr Gruffud was fired last term.”

“Didn’t his wife just file for a divorce too?”

“Yup.”

“Ouch, any idea who we have now?”

“Nope, but apparently he’s tall, dark and handsome.”

“Oh joy, yet another distraction for you.”

“You say that as if a flirt with everything that moves.”

“That might be because you do.”

Zoey laughed, not denying my comment, and we continued walking.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Once we arrived at the school, we went to our lockers, and put our bags away. Zoey had gotten a boyfriend over the summer, and insisted on telling me all about him. It’s not that I wasn’t interested, it’s just that she had a rather long record of short term relationships, and this was probably just temporary excitement. We gathered our books and headed down the hall into English. The room was full of students, all eager to discuss what happened over the holiday, but no teacher. I looked at Zoey and raised one eyebrow, only to be greeted with the same look of confusion. Teachers were never late to class, at least not any that we’ve had. We walked to the back of the class, and sat down.

“He’s probably just lost. He’s new remember?” Zoey said, reminding me that our previous teacher wouldn’t be arriving. I looked at her and nodded in agreement. I was about to ask her what time it was, when the door flung open.

“I am so sorry for being late! Please, sit down and open your books. I trust you’ve all been made aware of this terms topic?”

My mouth hung open. Zoey gripped my arm and shook it, indicating that she was seeing the same thing I was. 

“Is that? Is that Tom-?”

“Tom Hiddleston.” I said, finishing her sentence.

“But there is no possible way! He’s an actor, this makes no sense!”

I looked around the class. Everyone seemed to be having the same conversation as us. There was not one person who didn’t share the same confused and shocked look that Zoey and I had. 

“My name is Mr Hiddleston, and I shall be teaching you for the rest of this year.” He looked at me and smiled, causing my cheeks to rise significantly in temperature. I looked down, hiding my face. Zoey’ mouth was still hung open, so I lifted my right hand to shut it. Tom noticed my action, and smirked. 

“Skylar, that is Tom Hiddleston, help me, I cannot breath.”

“Could you please keep your voice down? Just, just pretend he’s a normal person, or something like that.”

“How the Hell am I supposed to do that? That’s not just some normal person that is a perfectly sculpted male specimen!” Her description made me laugh much louder than I had anticipated, and I hid my face in my arms, trying to muffle my giggling. Zoey looked at me, trying not to laugh, but she saw the tears running down my face, and it set her off too.   
Tom stopped reading half way through the prologue of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and looked up at us. 

“Would you mind telling the class what’s so funny?”

I lifted my head from my arms, and wiped away the tears, careful not to smudge my makeup. I looked over to find Zoey on the floor, laughing even harder. Tom had accidently made her jump, and she’d fallen off her chair. I grabbed her arm and pulled her up, trying not to laugh. She was looking at the floor, bright red, giggling, and relying on me to hold her up. 

“No sir.” I managed. Biting my tongue so that I wouldn’t laugh.

“Are you entirely sure about that?”

“Entirely sir.”

“I’ll see you two after class.”


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The bell rang, signalling for everyone to leave, but Zoey and I remained in our seats. We waited patiently for the class to empty, and then made our way to the front of the room.

“Am I going to have trouble with you two?” He asked, breaking the silence.

“Only if you want us to be trouble.” Zoey smirked at him and winked. He raised his eyebrow at her. I elbowed her rib, and she jumped back.

“Ouch, what was that for?”

“You know exactly what that was for.” I replied. “I’m so sorry sir, I promise it won’t happen again.” He returned his attention to me, and was silent for a few seconds. I watched his eyes intently, noticing how they moved around my body, as if he were studying me.

“Good.” He finally said. “I’d hate to make an enemy on the first day.” Zoey opened her mouth to say something, but I wasn’t taking any chances, so I stomped on her foot. She looked at me, then closed her mouth. Tom smirked.

“When will I be seeing you again?”

“Tomorrow I think.” Zoey said. He looked at her and nodded, then looked at me, holding eye contact for a few seconds.

“Till then.” He waved his hand towards the door, and we left.

“Did you see the way he looked at you? Oh my God Skylar, he so wants to fuck you!”

“He does not want to fuck me.”

“He does.”

“Zoey.”

“I’m just saying, the last time a guy looked at me like that, I ended up laying on a bale of hay in a stable with my legs above my head.”

“I have so many questions.”

“My family took me and my little sister to a farm, and there was one of those electronic bull things. You know the ones that you have to try to sit on whilst they try to fling you off? Well, the guy in charge of it was really hot, so whilst my sister rode the bull, the guy rode me.”

“Wow, just, just wow.”

“I know, I’m quite impressive. Anyway, back to the point. He likes you!”

“I’ve had enough of this conversation, goodbye.” I turned around and headed towards my locker. I heard her laughter in the distance, and smiled. She was being stupid. Although, if he did like me, how could I refuse?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When I got home, I headed straight for the shower. My thoughts were running wild, and I needed to relax. I tried desperately to forget about him, but it was a lot easier said than done. I turned the water on, and stood underneath the stream. I sighed heavily. Just as I’d finished washing my face, there was a knock at the door. I jumped out, and wrapped a towel around me, running to the door. I opened it, and my jaw hung open.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you were…Shit, I’m really sorry!”

“No, no it’s fine, I just wasn’t expecting anyone. Um, why are you here, sir?”

“Please, just call me Tom. You left your phone in class today, I thought you’d need it.” He pulled my phone out of his jeans pocket and handed it to me. Our fingers brushed, and my heart skipped a beat. His touch sent shockwaves throughout my body. 

“Th-thank you, Tom.” He turned around and headed towards his car, a black, shiny Jaguar. 

“Oh and, you might want to change your lock screen picture.” I looked down at my phone, remembering that he was my background. 

“Oh my God, I’m, I just, it’s not as creepy as it looks!” He laughed and got into his car.

“I hope you like me for more than just my acting.” And with that, he drove off. I closed the door, and slumped onto the ground, trying to decipher what exactly that sentence meant.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“And you didn’t invite him inside? That was your perfect opportunity!” I probably shouldn’t have told her what happened last night, but I couldn’t help it.

“I know, I know, but it wasn’t like that.”

“It definitely sounds like that!” I sighed. There was no convincing her. The bell rung, and everyone started flooding out of the classrooms and heading towards the Cafeteria. 

“Look, I need to go, I’ll catch up with you later, okay?” She nodded, and walked with the rest of the crowd. I had been struggling with the new topic in English, and figured I should ask Tom, but there was no way I was going to tell her that. I made my way down the hall, and walked up to the classroom. I took a deep breath, and knocked.

“Come in.” I opened the door, and walked in. Tom had his head down, grading papers, and hadn’t noticed that it was me. I headed towards his desk slowly, making sure not to disturb him until he was ready. He looked up at me and smiled.

“Hello Skylar, shouldn’t you be having lunch right now?”

“I could ask you the same question.” He smirked, and I looked down, blushing. “I was just wondering if you could help me with the prologue, I don’t really understand it.”

“Of course, grab a seat and come sit next to me, we’ll go through it together.” I did as I was told without hesitation. He was so close, I could smell his cologne. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, I had to remain calm. He leaned over me and took a textbook from the pile on the edge of his desk.

“So what is it that you don’t understand?” He looked at me, smiling. I wanted him closer, but I knew that would be crossing a boundary.

“I um, I just don’t understand it. Why would Shakespeare tell his audience the outcome of the story? What’s the point of sticking around till the end when you already know what’s coming?” He looked at me, and his facial expression changed from casual to more a more serious one.

“Sometimes, we follow love blindly, and often, following our hearts desire, can lead to devastating consequences.”

“So why do we let ourselves fall prey to it?” I spoke quietly. He moved his position so that he was closer to me, just out of reach.

“Because the ones with the most to lose are always faced with the biggest temptations.” I looked at him, he was so inviting, so comforting. His gaze was fixed upon mine, and although I felt myself blush, I couldn’t look away.

“We stick around, because it is not the beginning, nor is it the end that makes a great story. It is the journey in between.”

“Have you got any great stories?” I asked, not really sure why.

“I’m in the middle of one.” He looked at me intently, before getting up. I looked down, slightly sad that he hadn’t kissed me, but fully aware why. I stood slowly, and turned towards the door, he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him, inches from his face.

“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.”


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I ran to the toilets and hid in a cubicle, quickly taking out my phone. 

‘I haven’t gotten this far in the play, I need to know what it means!’ I whispered, tapping the search bar. I typed out the quote, and added the word ‘meaning’ to the end.

‘Smoke has to be fed by something – so love itself is only something secondary. But what lies deep inside is more important: it is real fire, real pain which makes you work and live or suffer either.’

I sat back and let my face fall into my hands. I had no idea what I was doing. It was two days into the year, and I’d already managed to place myself right in the middle of a very difficult situation. I refused to acknowledge the possibility that he could have feelings for me, he didn’t even know me! I got up and opened the cubicle door. Walking over to the sink, I gripped the sides firmly and looked up into the mirror, staring at my reflection. 

‘Don’t do anything you’ll regret.’ I said to myself before letting go of the sink and walking to the door. 

Zoey couldn’t know that he’d said what he did, I’d never hear the end of it. She was so used to getting exactly what she wanted that she sometimes forgot that not everyone had the same looks and charm as her, and couldn’t act in the same way. She never hesitated, she spoke without thinking and acted without a plan. I envied her confidence. I rolled my eyes and began walking to my woodwork class. 

I entered the room and put my books on my workbench, then wandered over to the tool cabinet. Being the only girl in my class could get very irritating very fast. According to the guys in this class, it was still the 1940’s. I gathered the tools that I needed, and began walking back over to my station, when I was interrupted by perhaps the most annoying creature on Earth.

“Hey Sky! You wanna go on that date yet?” I groaned, loud enough for him to hear, and rolled my eyes in the most obvious was I could.

“How many times do I have to tell you Jake? I’m really not interested in you!” He stepped back, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

“That’s the wrong answer Sky. We both know I pretty much run this school, and I could either make you untouchable, or ruin your life. So I’ll ask again, you wanna go on that date yet?” I looked at him with pure hatred. He used to be one of my closest friends, but he’d always had a crush on me. Well I say crush, it was more of an obsession. He’d asked me out two years ago, and I turned him down. Ever since then he’d made it his life mission to irritate me and threaten me whenever he could.

“Jake, sweetie, there is nothing you can say or do to ruin me. I’m not like you, nobody knows my name. Which means I have no reputation for you to destroy.” 

“We’ll see about that.” He said before storming off. As far as I was aware, he had nothing on me. Which was helpful considering he was an utter moron who’d do anything for revenge. I spent the rest of the lesson with things being thrown at me, and laughter from one corner of the room echoing around me. It didn’t really bother me though, I was used to it. Every lesson Jake would ask the same question he had the day before, I’d give him the same answer, and the same jokes would be made in an effort to upset me. In the beginning it did have an effect on me, but now it was just a pathetic and repetitive cycle that the majority of the class had grown bored of.  


The bell rang, and I started walking to my locker. Jake and his group of monkeys were following me, shouting and jumping, calling me every name under the sun. I rolled my eyes and opened my locker. Jake came up behind me and shut it in my face. I looked over my shoulder to see Tom walking towards us.

“I will do everything I can to hurt you.” He threatened. I looked up at him, closing the distance between us, making him shift uncomfortably. He was well out of his depth.

“You have no idea what I’m capable of Jake. Last time I checked, you’re the one with a reputation to protect, and I’m the one who knows all of your secrets.” He stepped back.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Do you really want to test that theory?” He let go of the locker, and spat at my feet before walking off. His monkeys following him.

“Skylar, are you okay?” I looked over to see Tom behind me.

“Yeah I’m fine, he has a rather large ego, and I think I might have bruised it.” He smiled at me. He’d obviously been there for a while, so he’d heard the entire thing, which made me wonder why he didn’t do anything. He looked me up and down as if trying to crack a code, or piece together a puzzle, and my gaze fell to the floor. 

“Are you okay Skylar?”

“Um, yeah, I’m fine.” I closed my locker and walked past him, never lifting my eyes from the floor.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

At the end of the day, I decided to walk over to English to hand in an assignment early. I felt bad for walking away from him earlier, but I was trying my best to avoid him. I stood outside the door, and went to knock, until I heard someone shouting on the other side. I pressed my ear against the door, and listened.

“Don’t you ever act that way towards her again!”

“I wouldn’t have to if she just loved me!” Wait, was that Jake in there? 

“She would never have feelings for someone like you! You’re disgusting!” My breath halted. Was Tom defending me? He hardly knows me, why would he-.

“If I ever see you near her again, you’ll be out of this school, and your scholarship will be gone!”

“You can’t do that!”

“Try me.”

I heard footsteps coming towards the door, so hid round the corner. The door swung open, and Jake stormed out of the classroom, slamming it behind him. I waited until he was out of sight, then approached the door. Tom opened it, his eyes wild with anger. 

“I swear to- Oh, Skylar, hey.” He combed his hair out if his face with his hand, his expression changing to a warm smile. “What um, what are you doing here?”

“I, I wanted to hand the assignment in.”

“It’s not due until next week?”

“I know, but, I just wanted to get it out of the way.” I held out my memory stick, and placed it in his palm. His touch sent shivers down my body, and I took my hand back quickly. He looked at me carefully, studying my features, then turned around and walked to his laptop.

“I guess I’ll see you later.” I said quietly.

“No, wait!” He replied, much quicker than he’d hoped. “I mean, I could take a look at it now, if you wanted?” I smiled and nodded. I walked over to his desk, and watched as he slid the memory stick into the USB port. He looked up at me, and smirked.

“That reminds me.” He said, with a playful look on his face. “The other day, what was so funny that you were crying and Zoe fell off her chair?” The question caught me off guard, and I started laughing, remembering Zoe’ description of the man that sat before me.

“I don’t think you want to know sir.” I said, giggling.

“And why would that be?” He asked, raising one eyebrow.

“Well, it was, it was kind of about you.” I said quietly, trying to conceal my bright red face.

“And which one of you said this comment about me?”

“Zoe.” He looked at me, the smirk on his face almost reaching his ears.

“And what was said?”

“I don’t think it’s in my best interests that I divulge that information sir.”

“Why not?”

“I will never be able to look you in the eye again.” I giggled, my cheeks rising in temperature. He got up from his chair and moved to the front of his desk. Leaning, so that he was facing towards me with his back towards the chair, gripping the side of the desk.

“Are you sure that’s not the other way around?” I looked up at him, and decided that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I told him.

“Okay well, obviously it was a bit of a shock when you walked into the class room, I mean, it still is. Zoe and I, among many others in the class, are quite big fans of you work, and Zoe couldn’t seem to calm down when she saw you. So I told her to act like you were a normal human, and her reply was something along the lines of: He isn’t just a normal human being, he is a perfectly sculpted male specimen.”

He looked at me intently, his cheeks becoming significantly redder.

“And would you agree with that statement Skylar?” I stopped giggling and almost choked. Was he really asking if I thought he was attractive? Oh God how do I answer this?

“Um well, you know.”

“Mhm?”

“From a professional student teacher relationship perspective, God no!”

“And from a female to male perspective?” I took a deep breath.

“Is that even a question?” He looked at me, and took a step forward. My heart started racing, I had no idea what he was doing.

“You seem to have made a habit of making me question my morals Skylar Rose.” My face was red, my heart was trying to jump out of my chest, and my entire body was tingling. I stepped back, and ran towards the door. I looked back, to see him staring at me, smirking.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I’d decided to stay home for the rest of the week. I needed to get away from Tom, so that I could spend some time rationalising the situation. If something were to happen, he would get in massive amounts of trouble and that was not something I was prepared to be the cause of. I opened my laptop, and logged into my emails. I had ordered some clothes online, and I was waiting for the email telling me they’d been dispatched. As the page loaded, I noticed something at the bottom of my email list.

‘Email from Thomas W Hiddleston.’

I dragged my mouse over to it, and clicked the open button.

‘Dear Skylar,  
I apologise for my actions over the past few days. My intent was not to make you feel uncomfortable. I’ve been told you’re disappearance is due to sickness, but I imagine that’s not entirely true. It was wrong of me to assume that my feelings for you would be returned, and as your teacher, I have put you in a very difficult and unprofessional situation.  
I hope you can forgive me.  
~ Tom

I stared at the email. Reading it over and over again. Do I reply? Yes, yes I have to reply. But how? Maybe I should quote Shakespeare. I just need to find a quote that really portrays my feelings towards him.

Dear Tom  
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet, tempering extremities with extreme sweet.  
~ Skylar


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The weekend came and went just as quickly as it always does, and Monday soon arrived. My first lesson was English, and I couldn’t decide whether I was nervous or excited. I walked to the back of the class, to find an extremely worried Zoe waiting for me.

“Where the Hell were you last week! You didn’t call, or text, you just disappeared!!”

“I’m really sorry Zoe, I just, things got a little complicated and I needed to get away for a couple of days.”

“This isn’t about Tom is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Wait, you haven’t heard?”

“No? What’s going on? Where is he?”

“He handed in his notice on Friday.”

“What? Why!?”

“I don’t know, but, he did come up to me at the end of the day.”

“What did he say?”

“He handed me this and told me to give it to you.” She passed me a small letter, sealed shut with wax.

“It must be pretty important, I haven’t seen anyone use wax seal since we went to see ‘The Phantom of the Opera’.”

I broke the seal, and opened the letter.

Dear Skylar,  
I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner. My intention truly was to stay until the end of the year, but then I met you. This is for the best, and deep down, you know it too. If you ever need me, my address is on the back of this letter.  
‘Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, and vice sometime by action dignified’.  
~ Tom

I felt a tear run down my cheek.

“Skylar, are you okay? Let me see.” She took the letter from my hands.

“Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, and vice sometime by action dignified. Skylar, please tell me you know what that means?”

“Of course I know what it means. Good deeds done for bad reasons, are not good deeds at all. But bad deeds done for honourable reasons, can be justified as good.”

“Skylar this is great-“

“Please, just, just don’t.”


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The bell rang at the end of the day, and I slowly made my way to my locker. I looked up to see Jake standing there.

“It looks like you have nobody to defend you anymore.” He said grabbing my collar and pinning me against my locker. “I am going to have so much fun with you this year.” Zoe walked around the corner, horrified by what she was seeing, she grabbed a chair and hit him round the head with it.

“What the fuck is wrong with you!? Crazy bitch!” 

“Fuck off Jake!” Zoe held me up whilst I caught my breath.

“Don’t worry Skylar, this is just the beginning.” He turned around and walked towards the doors, leaving Zoe and I scared for the upcoming months.

“What the hell was that all about Skylar!?”

“You know what he’s like Zoe, he lashes out when he doesn’t get what he wants!” She put the chair down and wrapped her arms around me. 

“You can’t go back home tonight Skylar, it’s not safe. He literally lives two houses away from you. It’d be okay if you had someone with you, but you live alone.”

“Where else am I supposed to go Zoe? Your parents don’t approve of me and I have no other friends!”

“Let me see that letter.” I handed her Tom’ letter, and waited for her response. “Get in the car.”

“Where are we going?”

“Shut up and get in.”

We drove for what seemed like hours. Zoe hardly spoke during the journey, not that I wanted to. It was just weird, she always had something to say. I had no idea where we were going, until we got onto the motorway. She drove round the roundabout and took the third exit, I looked at the sign.

‘London’.

“Zoe no! We can’t!”

“You’re right, we can’t. But you can.”

I begged her to turn around, but she refused. As we got further into the city centre, hundreds of lights illuminated the darkness that surrounded us. Zoe turned into an apartment complex, and turned off the engine. 

“It’s number 8. Go press the buzzer, and explain the situation. You have my number if you need me.” Before I could object, she shooed me out of the car, and drove off. I took a deep breath, and walked up to the doors. There was a large security guard watching me like a hawk.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“Um, I’m Skylar, I’m here to see Tom…”

“Just like every other teenage girl? Go home kid, he doesn’t have time for you. He’s a busy man. Try get an autograph at the next premiere or something.”

“No it’s, it’s not like that, he um, he knows me.”

“And why should I believe you?”

“You don’t have to believe me, believe him.”

“What?”

“Let me press the buzzer and talk to him. If he doesn’t know who I am, I’ll leave, if he does, then you don’t have to shout at me.”

“Hmm, alright, go ahead.”

I walked past him. I could feel his eyes burning into me. He was watching my every move. I stood in front of the door, and pressed the eighth button.  
“Hello?”

“Hey, Tom, I know it’s late, but something happened and I need your help. Can I come in?”

“Skylar? You live hours away! What are you doing here? Yes of course, come in!” I looked over to the security guard, he nodded, and opened the door.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Tom ran down the stairs to meet me. Instead of his usual suit, he wore loose black joggers, and a tightfitting grey t-shirt. He opened his arms and I fell into them, inhaling his expensive cologne.

“Skylar what are you doing here?” He asked, his voice full of worry. I explained what had happened with Jake at the end of the day, and that he had a history of trying to get into   
my house.

“I just didn’t feel safe, so Zoe brought me here.”

“What about your parents?”

“They um, they’re not around anymore.” He pulled away to look at my face. His eyes full of sympathy and understanding.

“Can I ask why?” I looked at the floor, a tear rolling down my cheek. I hadn’t thought about them for years.

“My dad was abusive. He used to hit my mum, throw things at us. He pushed me down the stairs when I was 10, and broke my ribs.” Tom’ mouth hung open. “One day my mum announced that she was pregnant. I was going to have a little brother, but my dad had been drinking, and decided that he didn’t want anymore kids. He punched and kicked my mums’ stomach, and pushed her down the stairs. She lost the baby, and took her life soon after that.”

“How old were you?”

“Twelve.” He held me close to him, as if he couldn’t bare to hear anymore. But I needed him to understand the reasons for who I am now. “My dad began abusing me in more ways than one, and I fell pregnant at 16. He tried to do the same to me as he did to my mum, but it went wrong and I had to go to the hospital. The police were called and he was sentenced to life in a maximum security prison. I decided that foster care and adoption weren’t for me, so I was given a house, and benefits to pay the bills. I’ve been seeing a therapist for almost a year now.”

Tears began to roll down my cheeks, and I held onto him. His arms were so comforting and I soon calmed down.

“You’re very brave Skylar.” He said softly. After standing in the hallway for a good twenty minutes with his arms around me, we went up to his apartment. It was huge. Everything was so expensive and clean. I felt way out of my depth.

“You can stay here for as long as you want. I don’t have a guest bedroom, but you can have my bed.”

“Tom that’s really sweet of you, but I can’t take your bed, the sofa will be fine.”

“Skylar, please.”

He took my hand and held it in his, taking a step forward. He was so warm and enticing. My pulse quickened. I looked down to see his index and middle finger resting on my wrist. He was fully aware of what he was doing to me. My heartrate was ridiculously fast, and there was no way I could hide how much he affected me. He took one more step towards me, closing the gap between us. I looked at the ground, trying desperately to hide my face, but he touched my chin gently, and lifted my gaze. I felt him let go of my hand, as he moved it to my waist, pulling me closer. I closed my eyes as he leant in, wrapping my arms around his neck.


	12. Chapter 12

I'd longed for his touch since the day I met him. Just the thought of our fingertips brushing sent shivers down my body, so to have his lips pressed eagerly against mine, was enough to send me over the edge. His hand right hand held my waist firmly, pulling me against him, whilst his left rested on the back of my neck. I wanted this moment to never end. Tom Hiddleston was mine, completely and entirely. I moved my hand to his top, pulling it over his head and throwing it onto the floor. His lips stopped moving as he took a moment to read my facial expression. His eyes full of concern, as if they were asking 'Are you sure?'. I nodded, and began placing kisses down his chest. Starting at his lips, moving down his neck, over his surprisingly hard abs, and around his waistline. He moaned softly, causing me to smirk. Just as I was about to go further, there was a knock at the door.

"Skylar, Skylar stop, go to my bedroom, I'll be there in a minute." His sudden change of tone confused me, but I did as I was told. He smiled at me as I walked away, but it was as if he was hiding something. I waited for him to face the door, and then hid behind the sofa.

"Tom are you in there?" A woman's voice called.

"Yes sweetie, just a second!" Sweetie? Who was sweetie? I watched as he pulled his t-shirt back on, and ruffled his hair slightly. He then headed towards the door, and opened it. A tall, beautiful woman stood waiting. Her eyes were the bluest I've ever seen, and her wavy blonde hair was perfect, not a single strand out of place. I gasped quietly, but neither of them noticed.

"Sorry dear." He kissed her on the cheek. "I was just taking a nap." She moved towards him, dropping her bag, and leaned in to kiss him. I watched as their lips met, and felt a tear run down my cheek.

"It's okay Tom, I was in the neighbourhood, and thought that I'd come and see how you were doing?" Tom shifted uncomfortably.

"Alison, I can't really talk right now, but I promise we can do something tomorrow. I have a lot of work to do, it'd be easier to get it done alone."

"That's okay hunny, I couldn't stay long anyway. I love you." They kissed again, and she walked out of the apartment.

"I love you too." He called before shutting the door. He turned around and slumped against the door, holding his head in his hands. He still had no idea I was there, but I was going to change that. I stood up from behind the sofa, causing him to gasp.

"Skylar! Oh my God! I thought I told you to wait in my bedroom!?" More tears began to roll down my cheeks, as I stormed towards the door. He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him.

"Fuck you! I'm not just some stupid little whore who's going to fall at your feet just because you're famous! How fucking dare you!"

"Skylar, please, I can explain!"

"Save it Tom. I thought you were different. I really fucking did. I can't believe I ever thought that someone like you would ever have feelings for someone like me!" I pulled my arm from his grip, and ran out the apartment, slamming the door behind me.


	13. Chapter 13

"Zoe, Zoe you need to come back, please, please come back!"

"What happened are you okay!? What did he do!?"

"Please hurry!" I hung up the phone. Tears fell down my cheeks as I tried to keep myself together. I could hear Tom' voice calling my name down the corridor, but I refused to go back. I knew he was following me in an effort to explain himself, but I wasn't going to allow him to walk all over me like so many others had. I arrived at the doors, and pushed them open, slamming them behind me in Tom' face, I looked over to see Zoe' car pulling into the street.

"Please Skylar! Just listen to me!" I stopped and turned around.

"Nothing you have to say could possibly make this situation better Tom!"

"Skylar, she means nothing to me, I swear!"

"She's your fucking girlfriend Tom!"

"I was going to break up with her this weekend anyway Skylar! I had no idea you would come over tonight-"

"Just leave me alone!" I got into Zoe' car, and we drove off, leaving him standing in the dark, alone.

"What the fuck happened Skylar??" Zoe asked, her voice full of worry. "It's been less than an hour! What could possibly have happened??" I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, and then explained ever single detail, from start to finish.

"You told him about your parents?" I looked down, how could I have been so gullible? Why did I tell a man I hardly know, everything about me? I met him just over a week ago, and I was completely ready to sleep with him!

"I know, I shouldn't have but-"

"Skylar it's okay. You don't talk about them enough anyway. I just think that maybe you should have let him explain himself in a little further detail before snapping at him."

"Would you have been able to keep calm in that situation?"

"No, but he's not just an ordinary guy, is he?"

"What so because he's famous, I should let him use me?"

"That's not what I said. This has nothing to do with fame."

"What do you mean?"

"He is so perfect all the time, so polite, so understanding and caring. Skylar he made a mistake. Everyone does. And yes, you were the collateral damage of that mistake, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." I leaned back into my seat, staring out the window. My thoughts swirled and mixed, all surrounding what happened with Tom. I shook my head and turned on the radio. It was half way through a song, but I didn't mind, at least it was something to take my mind off everything. Zoe looked over at me, and turned it up louder, which meant she obviously knew this song. I looked at her, with a puzzled expression, until the Chorus started.

'I may never sleep tonight,  
As long as you're still burning bright.  
If I could trade mistakes for sheep,  
Count me away before you sleep.  
I'll stay awake till I trade my mistakes  
Or they fade away.'


	14. Chapter 14

Zoe pulled into my driveway and I got out of the car, nodding at her in thanks. I took my phone out of my pocket and checked the time. 3:47am. I groaned and headed towards the front door. I slid the key into the lock, and turned it, taking a step inside. After locking the door, I walked towards the kitchen to get a glass of water, when something stopped me in my tracks. The living room was a mess. The sofa was flipped over, the cushions were everywhere, and the picture frame of me and my mum was smashed, face down on the floor. Fear made its way through me, as I gripped onto the keys and backed away towards the door. I felt warm breath against my neck. I froze.

"I was wondering when you'd be back." I span round to find Jake standing behind me.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" I shouted, backing away from him. He followed closely until I was trapped in the corner of the living room.

"I told you. We're going to have fun!" 

"You're a fucking psychopath! This isn't funny!"

"It's not meant to be funny!" He laughed, taking out a knife. "This is supposed to make you understand-" He lunged towards me holding the blade to my neck. "-that I am not someone you want to make unhappy." I held my head up so that the knife didn't dig into my neck, but he just pressed harder. "Now I'm going to ask one last time-" 

"And I'm going to answer one last time, no!" I spat in his face, and he laughed. 

"Wrong answer." Before I knew it I was thrown against the floor, cutting my face and hands on shards of glass. I cried out in pain, trying desperately to get back on my feet. He grabbed my collar and pulled me onto the sofa. I kicked and screamed but he was too strong. "This would be over much sooner if you stopped struggling!" He covered my mouth with his left hand, and used the other to rip off my jeans. I cried, and screamed, but they were muffled and too quiet to hear. He unzipped his jeans and got on top of me. I tried to push him off with every ounce of strength I had, but it was too late. I stopped screaming, and kept still, hoping that it would be over soon. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I shut my eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

Sirens echoed around my house, and the front door was kicked in. I looked around but my vision was blurred, two men came rushing towards me, and I tried to focus on them. They had bright uniforms and big bags, my ears started ringing and I closed my eyes. When I opened them again they were talking to me, telling me to open my eyes and keep concious. I didn't know what they were talking about, my eyes were only shut for a couple of seconds. The ringing subsided when a familiar voice responded to them.

"I came over to check on her, and she was passed out on the sofa. The living room was a mess, and there was blood everywhere."

"How long has she been in and out of conciousness?"

"Since I got here. Please help her, don't let her die, please!" The man was crying and begging me to keep my eyes open.

"I don't know if we can, her attacker tried to make sure she'd never talk, there are multiple stab wounds in her stomach. If she lives, there's going to be a very long recovery process. Maybe you should start preparing for the worst, Mr Hiddleston." I looked up at him and smiled, then everything went black.

"CLEAR!

"1, 2, 3-"

"CLEAR!"

I jolted and opened my eyes, I was in a small room with three guys standing above me. My ears were ringing and I shook my head. My vision started to clear, and I focused on my surroundings. This wasn't a small room, well it was, but it was on wheels. I heard the sirens shrieking around me, and I close my eyes.

"Skylar, no Skylar you have to stay awake now, please stay awake!" I looked for the voice, and my eyes landed on Tom. His face was red from crying, and his eyes were dark and full of dread.

"What happened?" I asked, feeling quite dazed about the entire situation. I never got a reply. The ambulance stopped, and the doors flung open. People gathered around me, and I was put onto a bed with wheels. Everything has wheels these days, the person who invented wheels must be so proud. Who invented wheels? 

"Tom who invented wheels?" 

"I'll tell you later." He promised, a smile making its way up his face. It soon faded though, as they doctors took me into a room, leaving him on his own.

"What about Tom? Why can't Tom come? I want Tom!" I whispered to the nurse on my left.

"He has to wait out there sweetie, you'll see him again soon, I promise. Now just relax, and breath into this." She placed a mask on my face and began counting down.

"10, 9, 8 , 7-" Her voice started to fade and slip away from my grasp. "6, 5, 4-"


	16. Chapter 16

"Skylar, Skylar." 

"She might not be ready yet, the surgery was a success, but she's lost a lot of blood."

"Thank you Doctor."

"She's going to need someone to look after her for the next couple of weeks."

"She will be staying with me."

I groaned, and tried to lift my hands, they were heavy, but I managed to pull them to my face. I rubbed my eyes gently, and opened them.

"Skylar!"

"Tom what happened, where's Jake?" I asked quietly.

"Jake, why would you-" He stopped halfway through his sentence. I looked up at him, he was angry. I hadn't seen someone so close to a violent meltdown since-.

"Tom, please don't. I've seen what violence can do to a person, you can never come back from it." He looked at me, tears rolling down his cheeks. There was a knock at the door, and the police walked in.

"We have a few questions." Tom looked at me and nodded, taking my hand in his. I took a deep breath, and started telling everyone what happened. Once I'd finished, Tom left the room and began pacing up and down the corridor. I looked at the men sitting before me, and they sighed heavily. This couldn't be good.

"Skylar, we have your statement, we have biological proof, we have motive, but he has money." I looked at them, suddenly very scared. "He would be found guilty, but if his family pays bail, he walks free." I sat up, my mouth open. 

"You're telling me there's a chance he could get away with this?" 

"It's a very slim chance, but yes. If he did, a restraining order is optional."

"Are you serious!?" I cried. "He is a fucking rapist, who tried to kill me!" They looked down, ashamed. They hated this situation just as much as Tom and I, but there was nothing any of us could do. They left the room with our statements, and Tom came back in.

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

"Trust me when I say that there is no way in Hell, that he will be getting away with this." 

"Do I have to stay here tonight?" 

"Unfortunately, yes, but I'm not going to leave you." I looked up at him, confused.

"But what about earlier?"

"Well now that you can't run off again, I can explain the reality of our previous situation." I looked down, feeling guilty for snapping at him and running off. But there was nothing I could do now to change any of it.

"Firstly, don't feel guilty for snapping at me. I knew as soon as it happened, how bad it looked, but Alison and I, we were never exclusive."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, neither of us had or have any feelings towards each other. She is not my girlfriend, and I am not her boyfriend."

"But she said she loves you?" 

"That was sarcasm Skylar. I promise you I feel nothing towards her, and I promise that my intentions were to break up with her over the weekend. The only reason she came to my apartment was because she got back from The United States early. When I told her I'd do something with her tomorrow, I was really going to end it with her then. Once you left, I called her and explained the situation, and it turns out she did have feelings for me and now wants nothing to do with me."

I looked at him, then looked back down. 

"I know I don't deserve it, but, could you give me a second chance? I promise I'll do things right this time." I didn't know what to say. On one hand, he told me the truth and it wasn't as bad as it first appeared to be, on the other, he lied and broke another girls heart.

"Who would I be giving a second chance to?" I asked. He was quiet for a moment, and then took a deep breath/

"Your boyfriend?" I blushed furiously, and he smiled at me, taking my hand in his.

"I promise to never hurt you again."

"That's a big promise."

"I know." He stood up and closed the blinds, then walked back over to the bed. I moved over and he got in with me, wrapping his arms around me. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his chest.

"I love you Tom."

"I love you too Skylar."


	17. Chapter 17

After several days in intensive care, I was finally let out of the hospital. Tom had stopped by my place the night before to pick up some clothes, a toothbrush, and any other items I might need. I would be staying with him for a while, and he was trying his best to make sure I was comfortable. Things between us had been going well over the past week. He bought me flowers everyday when he came to visit, and we talked for hours before he eventually curled up in my bed with me and we fell asleep. It was nice to have him around, but I couldn't help feeling low. Jake had done to me what my father had, and just like before, I gave up fighting. I hated myself for letting him do it. I couldn't look at myself in the mirror, I felt disgusting. Tom would tell me how beautiful I was, but I never believed him. I couldn't. I looked over to the window, watching the doctors and nurses laugh together, I missed being happy. My thoughts were interrupted as the door swung open.

"Skylar Rose?" 

"Yes?" I replied, wondering why the police were back.

"We have some good news, and some bad news for you." I swallowed hard before nodding.

"Jake has been found, and his family are refusing to pay bail. There's no way he's getting out of this one." Relief washed over me.

"And the bad news?" They looked at each other, as if preparing to tell me that I was dying. Their expressions so serious, but so full of sympathy and guilt.

"Your father." My eyes shot up. Was he dead? Did he escape? "He's been let out of jail early for good behaviour." I felt my world crash around me, and the ground crumble beneath me. The heart monitor that I was hooked up to, started beeping faster, the spikes getting higher and higher. I blacked out.

"What the hell happened!?"

"She had a heart attack, we've stabilised her, she'll be fine. She can still go home today, but you'll need to keep her calm."

"Mr Hiddleston, a word outside please?"

I opened my eyes and looked around, Tom was talking to the police officers that had given me the news, and I watched his facial expression change to deep anger. He began shouting, the police officers tried desperately to calm him down, but he was furious.

"She's been through enough! And now you're letting that monster walk free!?" I heard him shout. He pushed past them and walked back into the room, wrapping his arms around me. I was too shocked by everything to cry. My eyes were glazed with sadness and fear. Jake may be out of the picture, but my father brought a whole new branch of problems. I was silent for a long time. I couldn't keep eye contact with Tom, I was far too deep in my own thoughts to care about anything. I didn't want to care about anything. 

"Skylar, sweetie, I think it's time we took you home."


	18. Chapter 18

The sky grew dark, and rain began to fall heavily. I sighed, and stared out the window. We'd been driving for hours, but I didn't mind. It was nice to get away from everything. Tom and I didn't talk very much during the journey. He would make the occasional comment about the traffic or weather, and I just nodded in reply. He was worried about me, that much was clear to see. I overheard the doctors explaining the medicine they'd given me at the hospital whilst they thought I was sleeping. Apparently they'd been monitoring my behaviour over the week, and had given me some anti-depressants to go with the rest of the pills. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to the road in front. The apartment was just beside us. Tom turned into the driveway, and stopped the car. 

My hair hung loosely over my face, and a hoodie masked my facial features. I didn't want Tom to see how pale and fragile I'd become. I looked at the floor, my eyes heavy, and my mood low. Tom leaned over, and placed his hand on my knee. 

"It's going to be okay Skylar, I promise."

We got out of the car, and Tom helped me to his apartment. When we got inside, I sat on the sofa and sighed. 

"Skylar you have to be in bed for the next couple of days." I looked up at him and crossed my arms. 

"So what? I'm confined to a stupid bed for the rest of eternity whilst everyone else gets to live their life?" Tom sighed. 

"Skylar you-"

"It's not fair!" Tom walked out of the room for a couple of minutes before storming back in. 

"You know what's not fair!?" He shouted. "It's not fair that your father drove your mother to suicide! It's not fair that he beat and sexually abused you! It's not fair that you've been raped! More than once! It's not fair that you were stabbed repeatedly!" I looked at him, tears falling from my eyes, and then ran into the bathroom. I slammed the door behind me, curled up on the floor, and began to cry.


End file.
